Firestorm: Darkfire
by ArkansanDragon
Summary: I do NOT own American Dragon. Part 2 of the Firestorm trilogy. Jake is gone. Now Rose must learn to master her new found powers. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1 Judgement

Darkfire

Story by ArkansanDragon

Once again, I do **_NOT_** own the show American Dragon: Jake Long or any of it's characters. That belongs to Disney. (p.s. I don't work for Disney, I'd like to someday, but I don't.)

To help save the show-

Dear Friends, I have read and signed the online petition: "Save American Dragon Jake Long!" hosted on the web by the free online petition service at: I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider signing yourself. Best wishes, ArkansanDragon.

Sequel to Dragonfire. Jake is gone. Now Rose must learn to master her new found powers. Meanwhile, Chang is plotting her revenge; magical creatures are being attacked; and a strange dragon has been spotted around New York. Does this dragon know anything about the attacks? Will Rose ever see Jake again? Is this_ finally_ the end of the Dark Dragon? Read on to find out!

"_In darkest hour when all seems black, one who was lost will return to you. When hope is dead and all seems lost, one with a dragon's heart shall be your salvation. When all is darkness, the one marked by destiny shall find their true power. Hidden power shall be revealed and light shall conquer darkness. When darkness falls, the one marked by destiny shall bring forth the light." - Oracle Twin prophecy -_

Chapter 1: Judgement

On the Isle of Draco...

Rose waited nervously. Nearly a week had passed since her battle with the Dark Dragon. During that time, DragonMaster Loa Shi had been arranging a meeting with the World's Dragon Council to discuss what would become of her, as well as who would take over the duties of the American Dragon. She looked around the lobby at the others who'd come with her. Her parents and sister were there of course; Jake's family had also come to support her. Loa Shi and Fu Dog were with them; as were Spud, Trixie, Sun Park, and the Oracle Twins. Even 88 and 89 had shown up. They'd been staying at Loa Shi's shop for the past few days; earning their stay by helping him clean it.

Rose thought back, fingering the necklace she wore. It was a dragon's talon that hung on a thin silver chain. One of Jake's claws that had been lost during the fight with the Dark Dragon.

Just then, one of the dragon guards entered the room through a large pair of double doors.

"The Dragon Council will see you now." he said, "Follow me." With that, he led them back down the hallway to the Council Chamber. The guard opened the door and let them in. The inside the room looked like the inside of a courtroom, with rows of chairs on one side, and a high table on the other, where the four Councilors were seated. An African man in purple and green robes stood up and looked at her.

"That is Councilor Andam." Loa Shi whispered to her, "He is the Dragon of Africa."

"On behalf of the Dragon Council, I bid you all welcome, to the Isle of Draco." said Andam. He looked at Jake's family. "We heard about your loss," he said sadly, "and you have our deepest condolences. Jake, was a fine young dragon... He will be sorely missed..." He sat down again and said, "But now, we have other business to address." He looked down at Rose. "Huntsgirl," he said, "Come forward." She did. "Why have you requested to speak with us?"

She dropped to one knee before them; pulling off her mask. "Honored Council," she said, "Only a week ago I discovered that I had dragon powers. I've come before you to request training; so that I may learn to use my powers to protect magical creatures in the American Dragon's place."

Councilor Andam looked at the other councilors, then back at her. "We have heard about your powers. This is indeed unusual. However..."

An older man with grey hair and beard, and wearing red robes spoke, "As you are of a dragon's bloodline, and have proven yourself in defeating the Dark Dragon and vanquishing the Huntsclan; you have been accepted into the Order of the Dragon. There for, you will be assigned to a DragonMaster and begin your training."

"That's Councilor Kulde." whispered Sun, "The European Dragon."

A women in blue-green robes with black hair stood up. "But I've just spoken with the DragonMasters." she said, "No one is willing to take her."

"That's Councilor Omina." whispered Sun again, "She's the Dragon of Atlantis."

"This presents a problem." said Kulde, "Who will train her then?"

Just then, Loa Shi stepped forward. "If no one else will take her," he said, "Then I will."

"Master Loa Shi," said Andam, "Are you quite sure you want to do this? Given the recent loss of your grandson; are you sure you want to take another student so soon?"

"Yes," said Loa Shi, putting his claws on the young girl's shoulders. "She needs training; and there is no one else to take up my grandson's duties as the American Dragon. Besides," he looked down at her, "I'm quite sure, that Jake would have wanted this..."

The councilors nodded in agreement. "So be it." said Kulde, he looked at Rose's parents, "With your permission; Huntsgirl-"

"Please," said Rose, "I'm no longer one of the Huntsclan. My name is Rose."

Kulde looked down at her. "Rose..." he said thoughtfully, "A fitting name... Very well, with her parents permission; Rose, will return to New York to began her training under DragonMaster Loa Shi."

Loa Shi looked down at Rose, then at her parents. "Have you made your decision?" he asked gently.

"Yes." said her mother.

"We've decided," her father said, "that we're moving back to New York and allowing Rose to start her training." They both beamed at their daughter, "We're all very proud of you." said her mother.

Loa Shi helped Rose to her feet. She turned to face him and bowed in respect. "Master Loa Shi," she said, "I would be honored to be your student."

The old dragon smiled at her.

"Loa Shi," said Andam, "You should know that this is a trial basis. As with all dragon students, Rose will need to be tested."

"Tested?" asked Rose, "What do you mean?"

Councilor Kulde answered her, "You will be put to three trials. Each of a different skill and standard of the dragon." He pointed to three large panels behind the councilors. "The Test of Judgement in Fire," As he spoke, the first panel showed an image of a dragon breathing fire at obstacles. "the Test of Wisdom in Battle," The second panel showed an image of a dragon outsmarting two opponents. "and the Test of Courage in Flight." The last panel showed an image of a dragon flying around obstacles.

Councilor Andam said, "We require that you pass at least two of these tests."

"And what happens if I fail?" asked Rose.

A pale man with black hair, wearing dark green and yellow robes answered her. "If you fail these trials, then you will be assigned a new DragonMaster."

"That is Councilor Kukulkhan," whispered Loa Shi, "The Dragon of Central America."

Rose looked up at the councilors. "How long do I have to prepare for this?" she asked.

Councilor Omina answered, "You will have two months. If you pass these trials, you will be allowed to continue your training with Loa Shi as well as taking over the position of the American Dragon." Then, she noticed 88 and 89. "What are we to do with the two Huntsclan trainees?"

Loa Shi spoke again, "They have been staying with me for the past few days. If the Council permits it; I was going to offer them a permanent stay, seeing as they have nowhere else to go."

After a quick discussion, Council Andam said, "We will allow it._ Provided,_ that they stay out of trouble."

"Oh don't worry." said 89, "We'll be on our best behavior."

"That's right," said 88, "No more huntin' magical creatures for us!"

"Very well." said Andam, "This meeting is hereby adjourned."...

* * *

(The Three Dragon Trials...) See episode Dragon Summit.


	2. Chapter 2 Aftermath

Darkfire

Chapter 2: Aftermath

After the meeting, a small ceremony was held in Jake's honor. Rose and the others were there, as well as the Council, and a few other dragons. The council members and the others each took it in turns to say something about Jake. When it was over, one of the dragons came up to Rose.

"So," he said, sauntering up to her, "What's a lovely Sheila like you, doin' in a place like this?" She turned to look at him. He was tall, thin, and broad chested. He had a long, crocodile-like snout, a small, blue spike over each eye, and what looked like deer antlers on his head. He was yellow with orange tiger stripes. His wings, as big as Jake's, looked like spiny leaves. His horns, wings and claws were orange, and he had three orange spines on his back, and three yellow spines running down his tail. He smiled at her. "Name's Fred Nerk." he said, "I'm the Australian Dragon."

"Nice to meet you." said Rose. His smile vanished at the tone of her voice.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, "Maybe I could make you feel better." He flashed another smile at her.

"Don't make me have to hurt you."said Rose, turning away from him.

"Crikey." said Nerk, "Sounds like you are havin' a bad day. But come on now, you wouldn't hurt little ol' me, would ya'"

"I happen to be a former dragon-slayer." said Rose, still not looking at him. "And if you're trying to get my attention, then you're wasting your time. I'm not interested."

"Oh really." he said.

"For your information," she snapped, "I already have a boyfriend! Or... I mean... I had one..." As she said this, Fred caught the sadness in her voice and saw her shoulders slump.

"Had?" he asked, "What happened? Did ya' break up or somethin'?"

"No... it wasn't like that... I... I don't want to talk about it..." This time, he heard pain in her voice, and a sob.

"Oh... You mean..." She turned to look at him, and he saw tears streaming down her face. He came up and put a wing around her. "I'm sorry..." he paused, then said, "Was it...?"

"Yes..." she said, fighting back sobs, "It was Jake... Jake Long..."

Suddenly, she buried her face against his scales, sobbing. He put an arm around her, trying to soothe her. "I knew Jake." he said, "Jake-a-roo was a good friend of mine. We've been pals ever since he saved me from the Dark Dragon." He looked down at her, "I miss him too..."

Just then, Loa Shi and the others came up to them. "What happened?" asked Loa Shi when he saw Rose.

"Don't- Don't worry." said Rose, pulling away from Nerk, "I'll be alright..." She looked up at him, "Goodbye Nerk." Then she turned to leave.

"Wait!" said Fred, "You never told me your name!"

"It's Rose." she said, "and by the way," She fixed him with a glare. "If you really wanna impress a lady, then find some new pick-up lines!"...

* * *

(When Jake saved Nerk from the Dark Dragon...) See episode Dragon Summit.

note: The way I describe the Dragon Council, Fred Nerk, Chang and the Dark Dragon; is how they looked in the first season.


	3. Chapter 3 The first step

Darkfire

Chapter 3: The First Step

At Loa Shi's shop in New York City...

"What happened to you?" asked Rose. She, Loa Shi, 88 and 89, were in the back room; when Fu Dog came in looking like he'd just been trampled by a stampede.

"Won't ya' know it?!" said Fu, "I just won the magical lottery! I go the collect the money, and I get run over by a unicorn that eats my lottery ticket!"

After their return from the Isle of Draco, Rose's family had moved back to New York, and she was now back in school. 88 and 89 had also been enrolled and were in the same grade as she was. They'd also chosen school names for themselves. 88 chose the name Jamal, and 89 chose the name Wayne. To explain Jake's disappearance, his parents had told the school that he'd been transferred. It was the weekend now, and time for Rose to start her dragon training.

"Well, better luck next time, Fu Dog." said Loa Shi. He turned to face Rose. "And now young one," he said, "It is time to begin your training. The first thing you should know; is that we dragons are the protectors of all other magical creatures. Dragons are also creatures of immense magical power. But to unlock that power, you must first master the fundamentals; and a dragon student must obey their DragonMaster. Without question or hesitation. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Loa Shi." said Rose.

The old man chuckled lightly. "Please Rose," he said, "There is no need to be so formal. Call me "Gramps". Everyone else does."

"Uh... Ok, Gramps." said Rose sheepishly. "So, what do we do first?"

"First," said Loa Shi, "We will work on your transformation. If you are to take my grandson's place as the American Dragon, then you must learn to summon your dragon form at will."

"But Gramps," said Rose, trying to keep her voice from shaking, "the last time I tried that..." She remembered all too well; that fierce, awful burning; the fire coursing through her veins, threatening to consume her completely...

"You ok, Rose?" asked Fu, "You don't look so good." Seeing the look on her face, Loa Shi dragoned up and put a claw on her shoulder.

"I understand." he said softly, "The first time is always the hardest." He looked into her eyes, "But it does get easier. I promise."

"But, what if it hurts me again?" she asked.

"It won't," he said reassuringly, "That first time was mostly fear. Once you get used to it, you won't feel a thing." he paused, giving her a moment to let his words sink in. Then he asked, "Are you ready to try again?"

"Not really." admitted Rose, "but I guess I'd better get used to it sooner then later."

The old dragon smiled at her. "You'll be fine, young one." he said, "Now, the first thing I want you to do is to close your eyes." She did so. "I want you to picture the dragon form in your mind. Focus on it. Think about nothing else, only of the dragon..." As he spoke, Rose could see the form in her mind. She thought of the dragon's power, of its strength and speed, its fire, and wings, of its grace in flight. Again, she felt the power rising within her, again that awful, burning fire...

"The fire's coming back!" she could hear panic in her voice.

"Stay calm." said the old dragon, "You're doing fine. Just let it come. Can you see your dragon form?"

"Yes." she said, trying to calm herself.

"Good." he said, "Now, speak the words..."

"Dragon Up!" As soon as the words left her mouth, white flames appeared. Rose opened her eyes, and yelped when she saw them! The fire vanished instantly.

Loa Shi shook his head. "Try again." he said, "You almost had it."

"Sorry." she said, blushing.

He chuckled again. "It's alright." he said, "You should have seen what happened the first time Jake tried it."

"What happened?" asked Rose.

"He totally freaked out and ran straight into a wall." said Fu, "I still got the photo of it. Heh heh."

So, Rose tried again. Loa Shi was right, it didn't hurt like last time. The white fire racing over her still unnerved her, but it didn't hurt. When it was done, she turned to face the others. "How do I look?" she asked.

"See for yourself." said Fu, leading her over to a full-length mirror.

89 whistled at her, "Wow," he said, "and I thought all dragons were ugly!" Rose glared at him. "Uh... no offense." he said, blushing.

"You got a point there." said 88, "She does look kinda pretty, for a dragon."

"I'll take that as a complement." said Rose, finally turning to look at herself. "Wow," she said, turning in front of the mirror to see all sides of herself, "So this is what I look like... and I like it."

She was tall, yet slender and graceful. Covered in pure white scales, with dark pink, rose-colored scales down her chest and belly. Her wings were huge, about the same size as Jake's, but feathered and as white as her scales. Golden spines ran down her back. Her claws were a soft grey, the birthmark red as blood against the scales of her hand. But her eyes were still a deep, oceanic blue.

"Well done, Rose" said Loa Shi proudly. "Your dragon form is very impressive."

"Thank you." said Rose, bowing to him. "Now... How do I change back?"

He smiled and said, "The same way you became the dragon. Think of your human form this time."

She did. White fire consumed her again and she stood before them as a human.

"Well done." Loa Shi said, "With practice, you will soon be able to do it without the words." He dragoned down and looked at his watch. "It's getting late." he said, "We will continue tomorrow, but for now Rose, you should go home and get some sleep."...

* * *

(The first thing about dragon training...) Pretty much the same speech Loa Shi gave to Jake in the episode Old School Training. P.s. That part about Jake running into a wall, I made that up. The episode never showed what happened during his very first transformation. Special thanks to KaliAnn, Fudogg, Queen of Spar Oom, and all the other readers! You know who you are:) 


	4. Chapter 4 Nightmare

Darkfire

Chapter 4: Nightmare

_It was night. Rose was on a cliff overlooking the city. Suddenly, she heard wings flapping overhead. Something landed behind her. She turned slowly, almost too afraid to look. A dragon was standing there. It took only a moment to realize who it was. "Jake!" She rushed towards him, and soon, she was in his arms. "I thought I'd never see you again!" she sobbed. _

"_Hush now." he said soothingly, "It's alright, I'm here..." _

_She pulled away to get a better look at him. He looked slightly better then when she had seen him last. His wounds and burns seemed nearly healed, but the slashes and claw marks were now hideous scars. The tear in his left wing seemed to have mended, though it too was now an ugly scar. His right side, with had broken ribs, seemed to have healed also. The wing on that side had been broken, it looked mended, but still slightly crooked. Then Rose noticed something else, a large, black burn on his chest, that hadn't been there before. _

"_Oh Jake..." Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him. "Why did you do it?" She looked into his eyes. "Why did you leave me?" _

"_I never did." he said softly, "I'm always with you, Rose, in your heart..."_

_He reached out for her. She looked into his eyes; she wanted more then anything to rush forward, to feel his embrace again... to just be with him... but she knew that couldn't be... She backed away from him._

"_Rose?" he came closer, "Rose, what's wrong?"_

"_Stay back." she said, "You can't be here... you're dead..."_

"_What are you talking about? How can I be dead when I'm standing right here?"_

"_No!" she said fiercely, "Get away from me!" She backed away farther, and found herself on very edge of the cliff! Suddenly she felt herself falling! But then, Jake caught her. He carried her back to the cliff, and put her down._

_She backed away again, but he caught hold of her wrists. She struggled, but he was too strong for her. "Let me go!" she snarled._

_Instead, he held her against him, his arms around her; holding her close. "Rose," he said, "I'm not gonna hurt you."_

_She stopped struggling, suddenly exhausted. She leaned against him, laying her head against his chest. Then she heard something, she held perfectly still, listening... thump-thump, thump-thump... Then she realized what it was; a heartbeat. _

_Jake smiled down at her. "You see, Rose." he said, "Now how could a dead guy still have a heartbeat?" _

"_Jake," she said sadly, "This can't be right. You're dead... and this is all just a stupid dream!"_

"_Don't be so sure about that." he said, giving her a sad smile._

"_What? What are you talking about?" asked Rose. Then she noticed something on his wrist..._

"_A dream charm?! But- but that means..." She looked up, but it was too late... he was gone..._

* * *

I know it's short, but I was half asleep when I wrote it. :) 


	5. Chapter 5 Training

Darkfire

Chapter 5: Training

The next day, Rose went back to Loa Shi's shop. She hadn't told the others about her dream, it would only make things worse to raise their spirits, only to discover she'd been wrong. Although still grieving for Jake, she and the others had somehow managed to get on with their lives. But she knew they would never forget him... When Rose arrived at the shop, she told Loa Shi about her dream. "Are you sure of what you saw?" asked Loa Shi.

"Well... he was wearing the dream charm I gave him." said Rose, sitting down on the couch, "Unless... I really was just dreaming..."

The old man put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand how you feel, Rose... I miss him too... But come now, we must return to your dragon training." He gestured around the shop. "The first thing I want you to do, is to sweep the shop."

"What?" asked Rose, confused "Uh... if you say so..." She got up and reached for the broom. Loa Shi smacked her hand away. "Not with that." he said, "You must sweep using only your dragon tail."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked.

The old man raised an eyebrow at her, "What did I tell you yesterday?"

"A dragon student obeys their DragonMaster." recited Rose, "Without question or hesitation."

"Correct." he said, "So why are you questioning me? Get sweeping."

So Rose dragoned up, and started sweeping. When she was done, Loa Shi told her to trim the bonsai trees on the roof, using only her claws and dragon teeth. After that, he had her do his laundry by hand, or rather, by claw. Then, she had to dust the shop and sweep again, still using only her dragon tail and wings. Finally, when all the work was done, she lay down on the couch for a rest.

Loa Shi came up to her. "Well done." he said proudly, "You are finished training for today. Tomorrow, we will work on your flying."

Rose opened her eyes and looked at him. "_That_ was training?" she asked, "Seemed more like I was doing your house work to me."

He smiled at her. Then it clicked. "Wait a minute... " She sat up and eyed him suspiciously, "You're doing that old Training-exercises-disguised-as-house-work routine, aren't you?"

"Wow, you caught on pretty quick." said Fu, as he came into the room. "It took Jake a whole week,_ and_ us gettin' caught by you and the Huntsmaster, before he figured it out." Rose couldn't help but laugh at that. Then she stopped, thinking about her dream again. Was it possible? _Could_ Jake still be alive? Only time would tell...

The next day, they were on the rooftop with Sun and Haley. They were all in their dragon forms, as Fu, 88 and 89 stood watching nearby. "Now Rose." said Loa Shi, "Since I don't have wings, Sun and Haley will be teaching you how to fly." She heard him add quietly, "Jake had to learn this on his own."

"But, I already know how to fly." said Rose, "I had to when I was fighting the Dark Dragon."

"That was in a closed space," said Loa Shi, "If you are to pass the test of Courage in Flight, then you must learn to deal with obstacles and wind currents. Also, you must have enough strength to fly long distances when you patrol the territory." Sun and Haley took off from the building, and Rose and Loa Shi followed. Surprisingly, Rose found that the flying came naturally to her. She easily maneuvered around the buildings, and had soon mastered how to use the wind to her advantage. "You're pretty good at this." said Haley, watching her, "Are you sure this is your first time flying?"

"Well, actually it isn't." said Rose, "When I was still an apprentice, the Huntsmaster would take me flying on his hover board. Maybe that's why this is so easy for me." Flying may have come naturally to her, but landing was another thing. When she tried to land on the rooftop, Rose found herself flipping head-over-tail and landed, quite ungracefully, on her belly. 88, 89 and Fu Dog fell over from laughing so hard. Even Loa Shi couldn't keep from chuckling at how silly she looked. When she realized what had happened, Rose found herself laughing with them. "I guess I need to work on my landing." she said as Loa Shi helped her up.

"Not to worry." he said, "you'll get better with practice."...

The day after, they practiced combat training. They were on the roof, with Rose and Loa Shi in dragon form. "Are you ready, young one?" he asked as they circled each other.

"Bring it on, old-timer." said Rose. Loa Shi wagged a talon at her.

"Don't get cocky." he said a warning tone, "Stay focused, and watch the tail!"

"Huh?" said Rose, looking back at her tail.

"I didn't mean your tail." he said slyly, "I meant _mine_." The next thing Rose knew, the old dragon's tail was wrapped around her muzzle, and threw her into a bonsai tree! She scrambled out of it and lunged at him. He sidestepped, grabbing her tail and throwing her back. She rolled away as he pounced at her, and jumped onto his back. Loa Shi bucked and reared, trying to throw her off. Finally, he seemed to tire out, and slumped to the ground in defeat.

"Had enough?" she asked.

"I'm just warming up." he said with a smile. Suddenly she felt his tail wrap around her waist. The next thing she knew, she was on her back with the old dragon pinning her. "Do not separate your Huntsclan training from your dragon skills." he said, looking into her eyes, "You must learn to use both together. Only then will you hope to beat me. But I think that's enough for today. Be here for training tomorrow. Then you can work on target practice using your dragon-fire."...

* * *

(Doing all that house work...)... Sound familiar? See episode Old School Training. p.s. Thanks for all the ideas:) 


	6. Chapter 6 The plot thickens

Darkfire

Chapter 6: The Plot Thickens

Chang waited. It was night. She was in dragon form, crouched on the roof of a nearby building overlooking Loa Shi's shop. For nearly a week now, she had been keeping watch as the newest dragon began her training. Rose was growing more powerful by the day, just like Jake and Loa Shi before her. But soon... soon, Chang would have her revenge...

She left her perch on the rooftop, flying back to the abandoned warehouse where she'd been hiding. She smiled, thinking back, the Council and the others believed her dead. Well, all the better... She landed inside, and went over to a pile of cushions. Stretching out on them, she glanced over at a mirror hanging on the wall. What she saw made her jaw drop. The Dark Dragon was staring back at her from the mirror! "Master?!" sputtered Chang, staring in shock, "You're alive?!"

"In a manner of speaking." growled the Dark Dragon. "Although the girl's portal didn't slay me, it might as well have. I'm trapped in the netherworld. All my powers are nearly drained. What news do you have?"

"My lord," she said, bowing her head, "The Dragon Council and the others believe us to be dead."

"And what of the girl?" he growled.

"She still lives. She is being trained by Loa Shi to take the American Dragon's place."

"The old fool." said the Dark Dragon, "So they think him dead then."

"Master?" asked Chang, puzzled, "You mean, you didn't slay him?"

He smiled slyly at her. "No, my loyal servant, not just yet... He may still be of use to us."

"I don't understand." said Chang.

"My powers may be drained," he said, "but I still have my secrets. I was able to open a small portal to the real world, only big enough for him to escape. Once the others find him, he will be their undoing."

Chang still looked puzzled. The Dark Dragon continued, "I've placed a spell upon the boy; poisoning him with dark magic. He is under my control, and he doesn't even know it."

"But master," asked Chang, "How will that help us? Surely his DragonMaster and the others will discover your spell?"

His smile broadened. "It is ancient sorcery, Chang. It can not be broken so easily. We shall have our revenge; by making the American Dragon slay the one he cares for most!"...


	7. Chapter 7 Unicorns

Darkfire

Chapter 7: Unicorns

Back at Loa Shi's shop...

"Rose!" called Fu, running into the shop. He looked around, frantic, "Come on kid! Where are ya'?!"

"I'm right here." said Rose, as she followed Loa Shi into the room. They'd been up on the rooftop with 88 and 89, practicing combat techniques.

"What is it, Fu Dog?" asked Loa Shi.

"Yeah, dog man," said 88, as he and 89 came downstairs, "What's up?"

"We got trouble!" said Fu, "There's been an attack down in Central Park, and, well... You guys better get over there pronto!"...

A few minutes later, in Central Park...

The full moon cast a silvery light as the dragons landed in the meadow. Fu Dog slid off Rose's shoulders. "Man," she said, rubbing her back, "Fu Dog, I think you gained some weight."

"Hey!" said Fu, "Can I help it if I've got all these wrinkles? Anyway, it happened over here..."

He led them into a grove of trees, where a herd of unicorns were gathered. As they approached, the unicorns parted to let them through. In the center of the gathering, a young mare lay on her side. A foal stood nearby, it looked only about two months old, nuzzling at its mother. Then it looked at them and reared, screaming in terror!

"Easy boy!" said Rose, grabbing the foal as it tried to spear her with its horn. "Calm down!" she said, finally managing to subdue him. "What's gotten into you? We're only trying to help." Loa Shi went up to the mare. She was still breathing, her eyes wide with fright. There were large gashes across her flank, Which Loa Shi soon recognized as claw marks.

The unicorn tossed her head, trying to reach him with her horn, but he dodged it. "Calm yourself." he said soothingly, "We're not going to hurt you. We only want to help." She stared at him, uncertain, then lay still and let him approach. "These wounds are deep." said Loa Shi, bending over her, "but she will live." He turned to Fu, "Did you bring that healing potion?"

"I got it right here." said Fu, pulling the vial out of his wrinkles and holding it to unicorn's mouth. She eyed him suspiciously, as if to say, You expect me to drink that? I don't even know where that's been!

"Look sister." said Fu, "I don't have anything else for ya'. So it's this or nothin'." She glared at him, then drank the potion. After a few seconds, the wounds on her flank were healed, and Loa Shi let the unicorn up. Rose let go of the foal, and he went over to his mother. They nuzzled each other for a few moments, then the mare came up to Rose, studying her. Rose held perfectly still as the unicorn sniffed her. Then the mare nuzzled her, whinnying softly. "Uh, Gramps," asked Rose, "What's she doing?"

"I think she likes you." said Loa Shi. Then the mare turned, bowed her head to Loa Shi, and led her foal away, the rest of the herd galloping behind her.

"Well that was interesting." said Fu.

"Indeed," said Loa Shi, "Normally unicorns are not afraid of dragons, knowing that we are their magical protectors; but those two were terrified of us... and those claw marks I saw... something very strange is happening." He turned to the others. "We should gather the others and return to the shop. The Dragon Council must also be informed. I have a sense that whatever is happening here, it isn't good."

As they turned to leave, Rose saw something move from the corner of her eye. She turned to look, gazing into the shadows of the trees; but there was nothing there...

"Hey, Rose!" called Fu, "You comin' or not?"

She looked into the trees one last time. She had the strangest feeling, like something was watching them, but still, there was nothing there...

"Yeah, I'm coming!" she called, running to catch up with the others. But what Rose didn't see, was the pair of yellow eyes that watched them from the treetops...

* * *

Since you guys didn't seem to notice this in Chapter 6, I thought I would make it its own Chapter. Let me know what you think. :) 


	8. Chapter 8 The Stranger

Darkfire

Chapter 8: The Stranger

Later that night...

Rose was still in dragon form, flying home. Loa Shi and Fu Dog had returned to the shop to contact the Dragon Council. They had called Spud and Trixie, and had agreed to meet at the shop first thing in the morning. Rose flew low over the city, thinking about what had just happened. Why had the unicorns been so afraid of them? What could have attacked them like that; and more importantly; was it still out there? Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a cry for help! She flew lower, glancing around to see were the sound had come from. Then she saw it. A leprechaun was trapped in a back alley by a group of hobgoblins. The hobgoblins were armored, and carried spiked clubs. As Rose flew closer, she began to make out what they were saying.

"We want the gold, leprechaun!" said the goblin in front, who seemed to be the leader.

"I don't have any gold with me!" said the leprechaun, "Besides, even if I did, I wouldn't be givin' it to the likes of you!" He was short, and round for a leprechaun; with a full red beard. He was wearing a green business suit, complete with a small bowler hat and a cane. The hobgoblins were closing in on him, raising their clubs threateningly.

"Give us the gold, or we give you our clubs." growled the lead goblin, coming closer.

"Hey ugly! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The hobgoblins turned, Rose was standing at the open end of the alley, still in dragon form; hands on her hips, her huge wings spread to their fullest extent.

"Who you callin' ugly? Scaly face!" said the hobgoblin.

"_That's_ the best insult you can come up with?" asked Rose, raising an eyebrow at him. "That's pathetic!"

"Uh, excuse me..." said the leprechaun, "but are you gonna just stand there and insult them all night, or are you gonna get me outta this mess?"

Rose charged at the hobgoblins, and knocked them flat. They got up again and quickly surrounded the two. The leprechaun looked up at Rose. "What do you plan to do now? They've got us trapped like rats!"

"Just stay close to me." said Rose as she took a fighting stance. The hobgoblins charged! Rose slashed out at them, left and right; dodging their clubs. Suddenly, one of the goblins struck the back of her head with his club! She went down, unconscious, and returned to human form. The leprechaun ran over to her as the hobgoblins backed off, encircling them again.

The leprechaun shook Rose, trying to wake her. "Come on lass, wake up!" It was no use. He felt her neck for a pulse. It was there, she was still breathing, but out cold. He looked around as the hobgoblins leered down at them. They started closing in, raising their clubs for a final blow...

Suddenly, a huge jet of flame blasted some of them away! The leprechaun and the hobgoblins turned to see where it had come from. A figure was standing in the shadows nearby. Instantly, the hobgoblins rushed forward to attack! The stranger lashed out at them, dodging their attacks and sending them flying everywhere. After a few minutes, the hobgoblins decided they'd had enough and fled down the alleyway...

Brocamas, the leprechaun looked at the strange figure before them. Hidden by shadows, it was hard to make out exactly what the creature was. Then it stepped forward. It was still in the shadows, but the leprechaun could make out just enough to tell that it was tall, thin, and had large, bat-like wings. "Dragon lad?" asked Brocamas, "is that you?" Then he looked again._ No, _he thought,_ It couldn't be him. _This dragon had yellow eyes. Jake's eyes were black; red when he used his night vision.

The dragon turned to leave. Brocamas called out to him, "Wait just a minute there! Where do you think you're goin' in such a hurry?" The leprechaun gestured to the girl lying beside him. "Can't you see the lass has been hurt?" The dragon's eyes narrowed. "Well," said Brocamas, "Aren't you even going to call an ambulance or something to come get her?! I'd do it myself, of course; but in case ya' haven't noticed; I don't have a cell phone with me!" The dragon moved, and slid something across the ground toward them. Brocamas picked it up, and saw that it was a red cell phone. He looked up, but the dragon was gone. "Well," he said, "that was strange." Then he started dialing...

Back at Loa Shi's shop...

Loa Shi was pacing. Rose should have called by now, to let him know she'd gotten home safely. Something was wrong, he could feel it. Something had happened to Rose...

Fu Dog was also worried, he watched the old man along with 88 and 89. Suddenly the telephone rang. Fu Dog answered it. "Canal Street Electronics. Never had a customer; never had a sale. How may I help you? Huh?... What's that? ... Uh oh... We'll be right there." He hung up the phone and turned to Loa Shi.

The old man stopped pacing. "What is it, Fu Dog?" he asked.

Fu eyes were wide as he said, "That was Brocamas on the phone... He's found Rose..."...


	9. Chapter 9 Concerns

Darkfire

Chapter 9: Concerns

Loa Shi and Fu Dog had arrived to find Brocamas standing beside Rose, who was still unconscious. The elder dragon had brought them back to the shop, and now Rose was lying on the sofa, while Brocamas explained what had happened.

"It was the strangest thing." said Brocamas, "There she was, fighting off those hobgoblins. Then one of 'em gets behind and clubs her in the back of the head. She goes down, turns back to human form, and then the hobgoblins close in for the kill. All of a sudden, they get basted away by this huge jet of flame! They all run towards this figure standin' in the shadows and start attackin' 'em. The figure sends those bullies packin' for home! Then he comes forward a bit, just enough to let me see what he was. It was a dragon, near as I could tell. A tall skinny one with big, bat-like wings."

"A dragon?!" said Loa Shi, "Are you sure? Did you see what color he was?"

Brocamas shook his head. "Sorry but no. He stayed too far in the shadows for me to see his color. But I did see his eyes. They were big yellow ones. Do you know him?"

Loa Shi shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I don't. We must find out who this dragon is, and more importantly, what he's doing here. I will also need to alert the Dragon Council of this. Perhaps they can give us some answers." Meanwhile, Fu Dog was examining the wound on Rose's head.

"How is she?" asked Loa Shi, coming over to him.

Fu looked up at him. "Well," he said, "It wasn't a direct hit behind her left ear, but it was pretty close. I can give her a potion to heal whatever damage there is; but there's no tellin' i- _when, _she'll wake up." Fu looked away from Loa Shi. He was _not _going to say "if". His old friend had suffered enough after what had happened to Jake. Fu couldn't bear to put him through that again. But Loa Shi seemed to guess what he was thinking. The old dragon looked down at Rose, taking her hand in his claws.

"Keep fighting young dragon." he said to her, "Don't give up on us."

"So," said Brocamas, coming over to look at Rose, "This is the new dragon lass we've been hearing about. She's quite a fighter. You've trained her well, DragonMaster."

The old dragon turned to him. "I should never have let her go alone." he said, "If I'd been with her, this wouldn't have happened."

"Now don't go blamin' yourself." said the leprechaun, "She was only tryin' to help me." He took off his hat, and bowed his head. "I heard about Jake." he said sadly, "He was a good lad. Best dragon I've ever met. My clan and I will be thinkin' of ya' always. Rest in peace boyo."

The elder dragon put a claw on his shoulder. "Thank you." he said.

Brocamas looked up. "If there's anything my clan and I can do to help, all you need do is ask. It's the least we can do, for Jake... and this lass..." He looked down at Rose again.

Fu Dog was giving Rose the potion as he said, "Well there is one thing ya' can do. Would ya' see if you can find out anything about that dragon ya' saw?"

"We'll get right on it!" said Brocamas, putting his hat back on. With that, he turned and left the shop.

Just then, 88 and 89 came downstairs. "Wow!" said 89, looking at Rose, "What happened?!"

"She got jumped by hobgoblins while tryin' to protect a leprechaun." said Fu.

"She gonna be alright?" asked 88.

"We don't know..." said Fu, "Gramps already called her parents. All we can do now is wait..."...

* * *

(Aside from their soft underbellies, a dragon's other weak spot is behind the left ear. "Dragons are heavily armored along the head and back. You want to go for their soft underbellies... A direct hit behind the left ear will result in a clean slay.") see episode The Academy. (Jake and his friends first met Brocamas in the episode Fool's Gold.) 


	10. Chapter 10 Dream Flight

Darkfire

Chapter 10: Dream flight

Rose was in darkness again... She wandered endlessly, looking for a way out. But there was none... Suddenly, she was up to her waist in black quicksand! She struggled wildly, crying for help, but her thrashing only sank her in deeper. The sand was up to her shoulders, when she stopped fighting. Rose looked around, frantic, again calling for help; but no one came. The sand slowly dragged her in deeper. Then, just when she'd given up all hope of rescue, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Rose? Rose, where are you?!"

"Here!" she called, waving her arms, "Help me!" She sank deeper, up to her head. As Rose tried desperately to keep her face above the sand, she saw something streaking towards her out the blackness. A large, red and gold something.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" said the voice, it sounded so familiar... but Rose didn't have time to think about that. As she looked on, the sand closed over her head. She tried to fight, to get back to the surface, but she only sank deeper... The sand pressed in on her, she couldn't breath; finally, she lost consciousness...

When she woke, Rose was lying on her back, in a small cave. She tried to sit up, but a bright red claw held her still. "Easy." said a voice, "You're safe now." Rose looked up, and found a dragon looking back at her.

"... Jake?" asked Rose.

He smiled at her. "Who else would it be?" He took her in his arms, and she leaned against him.

"I thought I'd never see you again." she said, laying her head on his shoulder as he hugged her. Jake stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.

"I've missed you too." he said softly. "Not a day's gone by when I haven't thought of you."

She pulled away from him, a deep sadness in her eyes. "Jake," she said, "You can't keep doing this to me. You're dead. Stop torturing me like this..." He reached for her again, but she backed away, shaking her head. "Just go." she said, fighting sobs, "Just leave me alone!"

"Rose," he said, coming closer, "I've told you already; I'm not dead." Tears spilled from her eyes, as she backed away further. Then Rose found her back against the wall. She looked around frantically, but Jake was blocking the only exit. He had her trapped.

He came closer, still reaching out to her. She pressed herself flat against the wall, but there was nowhere she could go. Rose shut her eyes tight, bracing herself as he reached for her. She felt his claw brush against her face. "Rose," he said, "Why are you so afraid of me? I'm not gonna hurt you." He pulled her to him, and wrapped his arms around her. She made no move to stop him, as he stroked her hair, trying again to soothe her. She sagged to the ground, sobbing, as he let go of her.

"Just end it!" she cried, throwing herself to the ground. "Put me out of my grief!" She rolled onto her back, and exposed her throat. She lay still, eyes shut tight, waiting...

"Rose," he sounded astonished, "What's gotten into you?!"

"End it now, Jake." she said, staring up at him. "Leave me in peace or end it now. I won't try to stop you." He knelt beside her, and moved his claw to her throat. Rose didn't move, gazing into his eyes. She wanted his eyes to be the last thing she saw...

She felt his talons move across her throat, and braced herself. But nothing else happened. His claw brushed the chain of the necklace she wore, and he felt along it until he came to the dragon's talon. "This is one of mine, isn't it?" he asked, holding it up for her to see.

She nodded, "You lost it... during the fight... Jake, why are you haunting me like this? I can't take it anymore. You're dead. Why won't you leave me in peace?"

He dropped the necklace, and took her hand in his claws, squeezing it gently. "Rose, I've told you before, I'm not dead. What'll it take to convince you?"

Rose touched the dream charm on his wrist. "If you are still alive," she said, "Then help me find you." she stared into his eyes as she said this, her tone firm. "Tell me where you are."

"I can do better." he said, "I can take you there, but I need you to trust me." He held out his claw to her, and she took it. He gathered her in his arms, and went to the mouth of the cave. "Are you ready for this?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Ready as I'll ever be." she replied. Rose put her arms around his neck, as the young dragon took flight. He flew high over the city, Rose looked around carefully, trying to memorize where they were going. The skyscrapers glistened in the noontime sun, as they flew towards Central Park. He landed at the mouth of another cave, this time in the side of a cliff, in a dense part of the forest.

"This is where I've been staying." said Jake, putting her down.

"Why didn't you come back to us?" asked Rose, "We could've helped you."

"I'm too weak right now." he said, "I can't even leave the cave yet. Some wood sprites have been bringing me food and water, but I've been under fever for the past few days. I couldn't even tell them where to find Grandpa's shop."

"Don't worry." said Rose, "We'll find you. I promise." She felt a suddenly pain in the side of her neck, and sagged against him. He held her to him, as she staggered. "Wha- what's happening to me?" she asked.

"Don't try to fight it." he said, looking down at her. "Just relax. You'll be alright."

"Jake..." she felt dizzy, everything was getting dim. Rose lay her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat as darkness crept over her eyes. It was the last thing she knew...


	11. Chapter 11 Reunited

Darkfire

Chapter 11: Reunited

Rose woke slowly... She was back in Loa Shi's shop, lying on the sofa in the back room. Fu Dog was there, bathing her face with a damp cloth. "I sure hope you didn't pull _that_ out of your wrinkles." she said groggily.

"Huh?" He pulled the cloth away and looked at her. "Well, well, well," he said, "Looks like Sleepin' Beauty finally woke up. You had us worried sick." She tried to move, but he held her still.

"Fu-" he put a paw to her mouth to silence her.

"Shhhh." said Fu, then he pointed. Loa Shi was lying on a large beanbag next to her, still in dragon form, curled up like a sleeping cat. He was holding her wrist in his claw, and was fast asleep.

Rose didn't move. He seemed so peaceful, lying there like that. She didn't want to wake him. "How long has he been like that?" she asked Fu quietly.

"Since yesterday." whispered Fu, "You've been out for nearly two days. The ol' man's barely left you alone for more then five seconds. We were all worried ya' might not wake up." Just then, Loa Shi stirred slightly, then opened his eyes. He raised his head and looked at her, his eyes dull with sadness, and clouded with grief.

"Come away, Fu Dog." the old dragon said sadly, "Leave her be." He didn't seem to notice that she was awake. She smiled at him, and squeezed his claw slightly. He looked down at her hand, then at her face. "Rose?" he asked. He leaned closer, looking into her eyes. "Rose, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." she said, "Thanks to you and Fu Dog."

He sighed with relief. "Thank goodness... We thought we'd lost you." Then his eyes grew hard. _"What were you thinking?!" _he said angrily,_ "Fighting hobgoblins alone like that! Don't you realize they could have slain you?! What would I have told your parents then?! As your DragonMaster, it is my duty to watch over you during your training. How can I do that when you go off on your own?!..." _Rose cringed as he continued to scold her, switching to his native Chinese. Finally, he seemed to calm down a bit. He took a deep breath and said, "But the important thing now is that you're safe... Now that I've got that off my chest, we can get back to other matters, like finding out the identity of the dragon who saved you."

This got her attention. "A dragon? Did you see who it was?"

Loa Shi shook his head. "No," he said, "The leprechaun who was with you told us what happened. I've informed the Dragon Council, but they haven't turned anything up yet." Then Fu Dog spoke up.

"I just called your parents. They should be here soon."

"Thanks Fu." said Rose. She looked around, "Where are Spud and Trixie? I thought they would have been here by now."

"They're up on the roof with 88 and 89, practicin' combat training" said Fu.

Then Rose remembered something. She sat bolt upright and gripped Loa Shi's shoulders.

"I know where Jake is!" she said.

The old dragon shook his head sadly. "Rose," he said, "He's gone... It's time you accept it and move on."

"But he isn't." said Rose firmly, looking straight into his eyes, "He came to me in my dream. He showed me where he's been hiding. We have to find him." Loa Shi met her gaze, still uncertain. Rose didn't look away, praying that he believed her.

After what seemed like hours, though it was only moments, he nodded slowly and asked, "Where is my grandson?"

"He's hiding in a cave in Central Park." said Rose, "I'll have to show you where it is." She tried to get up, but Loa Shi pushed her back down.

"You're not going anywhere until your parents get here." he said sternly. "Their blessing is the only reason I was allowed to train you. The least you can do is let them know that you're alright."

Rose nodded, knowing he was right. Just then, her parents and sister entered the room. "Rose!" cried her mother, rushing to hug her daughter. "You had us worried sick. When Loa Shi told us what happened... What were you thinking, going off on your own like that?!"

"Mom, I'm ok, really." said Rose.

"That's good to here," said her father, "but you should learn to be more careful, alright?"

"Don't worry." said Rose, "I will be." Then she said, "Mom, Dad, I know where to find Jake."

"What are you talking about?" asked Violet. She stared hard at Rose. "Are you feelin' ok? You sure that knock to your head didn't crack your skull?"

"I'm serious." said Rose, "Jake came to me in a dream and showed me where he was hiding. He was wearing the dream charm I gave him. We have to go find him, I don't think he can last much longer."

Her mother stared hard into her eyes. "Are you sure it was really him?" she asked.

"Yes." said Rose, staring back.

Her mother nodded slowly, understanding. She knew all too well how determined her daughters could be when set their minds to something. "Alright." she said, "Go look for him then, but be careful this time."

Loa Shi spoke up, "Do not worry." he said. He raised his right claw and said, "I will do everything in my power to keep her safe, Dragon's Honor."

Rose hugged her parents and sister. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

"Good luck," said her father, "and listen to your DragonMaster."

"Don't worry, I will!" called Rose, as she, Loa Shi and Fu Dog ran up the stairs to the rooftop.

Soon after, they were on their way to Central Park...

It wasn't long before Rose recognized where they were, and started leading them towards the cave. They landed at the entrance, and Rose returned to human form. "Wait here." she said to Loa Shi, "I'll go in first." She entered cautiously, looking around, but it was too dark to see anything. "Eye of the Dragon." Her eyes glowed with an eerie blue light as her night vision took over. Then she saw him. He was lying on his side, his broken wing in a splint, and his wounds and burns were bandaged with herbal poultices. Two wood sprites were with him, one was asleep while the other kept watch. When he spotted Rose, the sprite woke his companion and they flew up to her.

"He told us you'd be coming." said one of them, pointing back to Jake.

"How is he?" asked Rose.

The other sprite spoke up. "He's been under fever for the past few days. It only broke the night before last. He was conscious a few minutes ago, but only long enough to tell us you'd be comin' to find him." The sprite looked back at Jake. "We've done all we can for him."

"Thank you." said Rose, "If you hadn't found him..." She paused, then said, "I've come to take him home." She went back to the mouth of the cave and got Loa Shi and Fu Dog. Then they went back to where Jake was lying. Fu pulled a healing potion out of his fur and gave it to the young dragon. His eyes opened slowly as the potion took effect.

"...Rose?" he asked weakly.

"I'm here." she said softly. "Your grandfather and Fu are here too."

"I knew you'd find me." he said, smiling at her. He tried to get up, but couldn't. Loa Shi pulled the splint off his grandson's wing, and helped him to his feet. The bandages fell away to show that his injuries had completely healed. Even the scars had been reduced to minor scratches. Only the black burn on his chest remained. Rose looked at it carefully. This wasn't like any other burn she'd seen before. It was perfectly shaped like a seven pointed star. But there would time to think about that later. Right now, all that mattered was that she'd found Jake.

Loa Shi looked at his grandson. "Can you fly?" he asked.

"I think so." said Jake, stretching his wings.

"Come on then." said Rose, dragoning up and leading them to the entrance, "Let's go home."...


	12. Chapter 12 Welcome Home

Darkfire

Chapter 12: Welcome Home

"Jake!" Jake was knocked flat on his back as the little pink dragon tackled him in a hug.

As soon as they'd gotten back to the shop, Fu Dog had called Jake's parents. Now everyone stood watching with smiles on their faces, as Haley hugged her older brother.

"Take it easy Haley!" said Jake, laughing at her. "I missed you too!" The older dragon hugged her back, and she let go of him. Suddenly, she had hold of his muzzle, shaking a claw in his face.

"Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again! Got it?!" He nodded, and she released him. Then she noticed the burn on his chest. "Where did this come from?" She gently traced it with her claw. "I've never seen a burn like this before."

She got off, and let him up. Jake went over to his parents and hugged them too. "We've missed you so much." said Susan.

"I missed you too Mom." said Jake, fighting back sobs.

Johnathan put a hand on his son's shoulder. "You did good son, and I just want you to know, that I'm very proud of you. Why I'll bet you mopped the floor with that Dark Dragon's sorry hide!"

"Heh heh, I guess I did." said Jake.

His father ruffed Jake's hair playful. "That's my little Cougar."

Spud and Trixie came over to Jake, and Spud threw his arms around the dragon's neck.

"We thought you were a goner, Man!" cried Spud. "We thought we'd never see you again! We thought-"

"Uh, Spud," gasped Jake, "I really missed you too and all, but you're kinda cutting of the circulation to my head."

"Oh, my bad." said Spud, letting go of him.

Trixie just smiled at them. "Nice to have ya' back Jakey." Then she hugged him too. "Things just aien't been the same since you been gone."

"It's great to be back." said Jake, returning the hug. He let go of her, and 88 and 89 came up to him.

"Well," said 89, "this is, kinda awkward." He held out his hand and shook Jake's claw. "Welcome back Dragon-boy."

"Uh... Thanks." said Jake, as he let go.

"Look," said 88, "I know we kinda got off on the wrong foot here and all that, but do ya' think, maybe, we could, turn over a new leaf?"

"Why not?" said Jake, smiling at him. Loa Shi and Fu Dog came up and hugged him next.

Fu was in tears as he said, "Oh kid! We thought you'd gone to that Big Apple in the sky! I'm so glad you're back! Ooooh! I promised myself I wasn't gonna cry!"

"Welcome back, young dragon." said Loa Shi, and as he smiled, Jake could see tears welling up in the old dragon's eyes.

"I missed you too Gramp's." said Jake, hugging him back.

"There is someone else here who's missed you most of all." said Loa Shi. He pulled away from his grandson, and stepped aside. Rose stood before them in human form, staring back at Jake.

"Rose..." said Jake. Then she rushed forward, and she was in his arms again. He wrapped his wings around her, holding her against him. She surrendered, pressing her face against his scales as he stroked her hair, nuzzling her affectionately.

"I've finally found you." she said, gazing into his eyes as her own filled with tears.

He smiled down at her. "I never really left." he said softly. She leaned against him again, and he held her. Everyone looked on with tear fulled eyes.

"That's so beautiful." sniffed Fu, then he started bawling like a baby. "Oh! I promised myself I wouldn't cry!"

Rose's parents came up to them. Reluctantly, Jake and Rose parted. "There's someone I want you to meet." said Rose to Jake, as she turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad," she said, "this is my boyfriend, Jake Long."

"Uh... Nice to meet you." said Jake nervously, as he shook their hands. Rose's mother suddenly pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you," she said, "for saving our daughter's life."

"Hey," he said, smiling, "savin' people's what I do, magical or human."

She pulled away from him, and Rose's father came forward. Jake gulped. Instinctively, his wings folded close to his sides, and his head lowered; his tail between his legs in submission; trying to make himself look smaller and unthreatening.

"Jake!" hissed Rose, "What are you doing?! You're embarrassing yourself!"

"It's alright." said her father kindly. "I felt the same way the first time I met my girlfriend's dad." He smiled warmly, and put a hand on Jake's shoulder. "Rose made a good choice; and you have my thanks for everything you've done for her."

"Thank you, Sir." said Jake, bowing in respect.

"You have a fine boy here." said Rose's Dad to Jake's parents, "You must be very proud of him."

"We most certainly are." said Susan.

Then Rose's sister Violet came up to Jake. "You be good to my sister;" she said in a warning tone, "or else I'll have to hunt you down. Got it?"

"I thought Rose was the only dragon-slayer in your family." said Jake.

Violet smiled at him. "I'm just kidding." she said playfully, "I know Rose could whip your sorry tail anytime if she wanted to."

"Oh, really..." said Jake, smiling slyly. "Sounds like the AmDrag's got himself a challenge."

"You're on, Dragon-boy." said Rose, "Dragon Up!" White fire raced over her, and she stood before them as a dragon. She ran up the stairs and called back, "Catch me if you can!"

"Oh it's on!" said Jake, taking off after her. Everyone followed them to the roof, and looked on with smiles on their faces, as the two young dragons chased each other through the sky; happily together for the first time in months...

* * *

(Why Jake's dad called him Cougar...) Johnathan used to be a Cougar Scout, and he's been trying to get Jake to join. See episodes The Long Weekend and The Doppleganger Gang. 


	13. Chapter 13 Prowler

Darkfire

Chapter 13: Prowler

That night, Jake and Rose slept over at Loa Shi's shop. Rose was in the guest room, and Jake on the sofa. All was quiet and everyone was asleep. Suddenly, Rose woke with a start. She looked around, uneasy, then got out of bed and opened the door of her room. She didn't know what woke her, but whatever it was, something told her it wasn't good. She crept down the hallway, listening. The only sounds were Loa Shi and Fu Dog, the both of them fast asleep. As she kept going, the uneasy feeling grew stronger. Something was wrong. That much was clear, but what? Then she heard something moving up ahead. Rose went faster, grateful that her training had made her so stealthy. She entered the room slowly, looking around for anything out of place. Jake was still on the sofa, sound asleep, and nothing had been touched. But Rose still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

She went over to Jake and looked at him closely, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. He was in human form, sleeping peacefully. _He deserves a good rest, _thought Rose, _especially after all he's been through. _She reached out, and stroked his hair gently. He stirred under her touch, but didn't wake up. Satisfied that he was alright, she went into the main part of the shop to check things out. All the inventory was still there, and the money was still in the cash register. The safe was also untouched. Then, as Rose turned to leave the room, she saw that the window was open. It had been closed when they'd gone to bed...

Rose quickly whispered, "Eye of the Dragon" and looked around. There was no one there... She went over to the window and stuck her head out, staring into the shadows; but still, there was no one there... She pulled her head back in and shut the window slowly; that uneasy feeling still creeping along her spine. Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and whirled; just in time to see something dark disappear up the stairs. She ran after it, but when she reached the top of the stairs, it was gone. Then she heard a sound coming from the roof. Rose quickly made her way through the trap door and onto the rooftop. She looked around, but the intruder was gone.

"Whose out here?!" called Rose, "Show yourself!" There was no answer... _Huh,_ she thought, _must've of scared it off. _She glanced around one last time to be sure nothing was there. Then, convinced that whatever it was had really gone, she went back to the trapdoor and disappeared down the ladder. But what Rose hadn't noticed, was the pair of yellow eyes that watched her from the shadows...

* * *

Good News! The Document thing is working again:) 


	14. Chapter 14 Wings of Fury

Darkfire

Chapter 14: Wings of Fury

The next day, Rose told Loa Shi and the others what had happened. "Are you sure you scared it away?" asked Loa Shi. Rose nodded.

"I think so." she said, "but what I want to know is, what _it_ was."

"I wonder why it don't take anything." said Jake, "You think it might've been a magical creature?"

"Who knows?" said Fu, "The important thing is that it's gone."

"But what if it comes back?" asked Spud.

"Then we just gotta catch it." said Trixie.

Rose turned to Loa Shi. "Is there any word from the Dragon Council about the dragon who saved me?"

The old man shook his head. "Not yet." he said, then he looked at his watch. "Where is Sun? Haley was training with her when I called them this morning. They should have been here by now."

"Maybe they're just runnin' late" said Fu. Sun had been off reporting to Dragon Council when Rose and found Jake, and had only gotten back late the night before. Loa Shi had called to inform them of what had happened last night, and Sun had said that she and Haley would be right over.

"I got a bad feelin' about this." said 88

"Me too." said 89, "Maybe somethin' happened to them?"

"I agree." said Loa Shi, "We should go and search for them." He turned to the others. "Jake, Rose, Fu Dog and I will go. The rest of you should stay here in case they arrive while we are away."

They headed for the roof. Soon, they were flying out over the city...

They flew all over the city, but there was still no sign of Sun or Haley. Finally, as it was getting late, the only place they hadn't looked yet was the Empire State Building. "Maybe someone there saw them." said Jake as they flew toward it.

"I hope so." said Rose, "We've been flying all day, and my wings are about ready to- Jake! Look out!"

Jake barely dodged as the griffin streaked past him, screeching in fury! "Whoa!" said Jake looking around, "Where did _that_ come from?!"

"I don't want to stay and find out!" said Fu. Twice the size of the dragons, the griffin came at them again, and again they barely dodged it.

"Why is it attacking us?!" cried Rose.

"This is the female griffin!" said Loa Shi, "Something must have happened to her nest. That's why she's so angry!"

"Let's get outta here!" yelled Fu. The griffin dove again, talons extended, screaming in rage!

"Rose, look out!" Loa Shi knocked Rose aside, just as the griffin struck. The blow knocked the old dragon from the sky; plummeting to the ground below!

"Gramps!" cried Jake and Rose. They both dove to catch him, but the griffin streaked past them again, snatching the old dragon in her claws. He hung limp, like a snake in an eagle's talons. His eyes were closed, and Fu Dog was clinging to his back.

"What's going on?!" asked Rose, "Why did she save them?"

"I think we'd better worry about us!" said Jake, as another screech pierced the air. The male griffin came in out of nowhere! His talons barely missing Jake's wing! Slightly smaller then his mate, the male griffin came at them again, but as Jake dodged him, the female struck him from behind. The young dragon dropped like a stone.

"Jake! No!" cried Rose. She started to dive, but the male griffin beat her to it, snatching Jake in his claws before he hit the rooftop. She heard a screech behind her, and turned- too late. The griffin struck like a wrecking ball. Pain exploded in her head, then everything went black...


	15. Chapter 15 Prisoners

Darkfire

Chapter 15: Prisoners

"Rose? Rose wake up."... She heard Jake's voice calling her name. She knew she had to wake up, but the pain in her head... She couldn't move, it hurt too much... "I know it hurts Rose, but you have to wake up."... She slowly opened her eyes. The blurry shapes above her soon turned into Jake and Loa Shi.

"Are you alright?" asked Loa Shi.

"Oooohhh..." groaned Rose, "Oh, my head... Just put me out of my misery."

"She's alright." said Fu, coming up to her.

"Don't try to move." said a voice. Rose felt a claw on each side of her head. Light energy flowed over her, and the pain faded.

"Thank you, Sun." she said weakly.

"Anytime." said Sun.

Haley appeared, staring down at Rose. "So," she said dryly, "What are you in for?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Rose. Jake and Loa Shi backed away as she sat up. Looking around, the first thing that she noticed, was that they were in a huge nest. It seemed to be made from entire tree branches, and was lined on the bottom with leaves. Then she noticed that the walls of the nest were higher then normal. What was more unusual, and more disturbing, was the lid of branches that had been placed on the top of it. Rose had seen a griffin's nest before, and it had looked nothing like this. A normal nest was just a pile of boards crossed over each other for the griffin to lie on.

"Uh oh." she said, "This can't be good." She looked back at the others. "Any idea what's going on? How did we get in here anyway?"

"It would seem that we're being held captive by the mother griffin." said Loa Shi. "Although, I'm not completely sure why."

"So I'm guessing, _this_ is why you guys didn't show up?" asked Rose to Haley.

"Yup." said Haley.

Rose got to her feet unsteadily, went over to a wall, and examined it closely. "Can't we just burn through this?" she asked.

"Not unless you want to suffocate from all the smoke it'll cause;" said Fu, "And tryin' to knock a hole in it 'll just bring the whole thing crashin' down on us."

"But what does she want with us?" asked Jake.

"I think we're about to find out." said Rose. Just then, the lid was lifted off the cage, and the mother griffin stared down at them. She reached a claw into the cage, as the dragons tried to avoid it. She moved the claw around, until she'd cornered Rose. Rose tried to escape, but couldn't. The griffin caught her, and lifted her out of the nest.

"Rose!" cried Jake. He tried to fly after her, but the lid to the cage knocked him back as it was replaced. Jake pounded at it with his fists yelling, "Let her go! What do you want with us?!"

There was no answer. Jake sank to the ground in despair. "What'd you think they'll do to her?" he asked.

"I don't know." said Loa Shi, "All we can do is wait..."

"Hey guys" said Fu, "Come over here! There's a space between the branches where ya' can see what's goin' on." They all went over to it, and looked outside. Rose was flat on her back, with the griffin's claw on her chest, pinning her.

The griffin fixed her with one of its fierce eyes. Rose stared back. Was it a cat's eye, or an eagle's? She couldn't tell. It was yellow, with a slit for a pupil. They stared at each for what seemed like hours. Then, Rose heard something. A small squawk coming from behind the griffin.

The mother lifted a wing, and a little baby griffin came forward. As it came closer, Rose could see that there was something wrong with it. The chick was limping, and dragging a wing. Its left hind leg had claw marks on it, and the wing on that side had been mangled. The mother nuzzled it gently, then turned back to Rose and hissed. The baby griffin squawked and came over to Rose, placing his front claws on her chest as the mother griffin released her.

_Oh great. _Thought Rose,_ My second week as a dragon and I'm about to be baby food for a griffin! _She shut her eyes and braced herself, any moment expecting to feel the griffin's sharp beak tearing into her flesh... but nothing happened. She opened her eyes again. The griffin chick sniffed at her, then started squawking to his mother.

"Hey, Rose! Are you alright? What's goin' on out there?!" It was Jake's voice. Rose didn't dare move, but she whispered, "Jake! The baby griffin's been hurt bad by something. That's why his mother's so angry!"

"Of corse." said Sun, "Now it makes sense."

"Huh?" asked Haley.

Loa Shi explained, "Griffins will normally not attack unless provoked or threatened; but parents are extremely protective of their young. If something has attacked their chick; then they will attack anything that they see as a threat."

"Where's the daddy griffin then?" asked Haley.

"The father patrols the territory." answered Sun, "While the mother stays to watch the chick; but if they think their chick is in danger; both will fight to the death to protect it."

"But why are they attacking dragons?" asked Jake, "We _protect_ magical creatures. We're not a threat to them!"

"I know how we can get some answers." said Fu, "Just let me handle this." He turned to mother griffin and said, "Squawk. Squawker squawkin squawky." The griffin raised her head and looked at him.

"Fu Dog?" asked Loa Shi, "Since when do you speak griffin?"

"Since last week when I mail-ordered that English-to-Griffin dictionary." He pulled the book out his fur and showed it to them. They all raised an eyebrow at him. "Hey," he said, "I may be 600 years old, but don't mean ya' can't teach an old dog new tricks."

"Uh, I hate to interrupt..." said Rose, "but unless you want me to end up as griffin food; do something and get me out of here!"

"Calm down sweetheart." said Fu, "I got it all under control." He flipped through the book; looked back at the griffin and said, "Squawk, squawkity squawker... uh, squawkin squawky?"

The griffin looked down at Rose and answered, "Screech! Awk! Awk! Screee!"

"Translation please?" asked Rose.

"She says they were sleepin' last night when it happened." said Fu, "Somethin' crept into the nest and attacked her chick; but it got away before she could catch it."

"Did she see what it was?" asked Sun.

The griffin seemed to understand the question, because she looked at Sun and said, "Screee! Squawk! Squawk! Keeeee! Hisssss!"

"She says it was... No... but that can't be right!"

"What?!" asked Jake, "What did she say did it?"

Fu turned back to them, his face pale. "She's sayin'... it was a dragon..."...

* * *

(Why griffins are so protective of their young...) A griffin lays a single egg only once every 1000 years. See episode The Egg. 


	16. Chapter 16 Negotiations

Darkfire

Chapter 16: Negotiations

"What?!" they all said.

"That's right." said Fu, "an' she says she's gonna keep us here 'til she finds out who attacked her baby."

"But none of us did it!" cried Jake.

"Well kid," said Fu, "You guys are the only dragons around here, an' she wants answers."

Haley gulped, "Wh- What's she gonna do to us?"

"I think I'm about to find out." said Rose. The baby griffin got off her, and the mother came forward again, staring deep into Rose's eyes. Rose tried to look away, but found she couldn't. She felt the griffin's talon against her neck; felt a sharp sting as the griffin pricked her. Then she felt herself go limp, and knew what had happened. The griffin had paralyzed her...

The griffin pricked her again, and she hissed in pain. Then it moved the talon over the dragon's chest and belly scales. Rose waited, her heart pounding as the griffin stared down at her. "Uh, Gramps?" she asked nervously, "Griffins don't_ eat_ dragons, do they?"

"Of course not." said Loa Shi, "Though now that you mention it, I'm not completely sure what griffins eat."

"Great." said Rose, "That makes me feel so much better." Just then, the baby griffin crawled on top of her, and turned to face his mother. She squawked at him questioningly. He answered her in a series of rapid squawks, and waited.

"What did they say?" asked Haley.

Fu translated, "He says it wasn't Rose that hurt him, or any of us. He says the dragon that attacked him was different; tall and skinny with big yellow eyes and bat-like wings. Huh, kinda sounds familiar... He also says that he likes Rose, an' doesn't want his mom to hurt her. He's asking if she'll let us go, and maybe we can help find that other dragon. He saw how Sun helped Rose, and he's thinkin' maybe she can do the same for him." He wiped his brow with a paw and added, "Whew... Now that's a mouthful!"

The mother griffin looked at her chick, then at Rose and the others. Finally, she nodded, and squawked something at Rose.

"She says that since her baby likes you, she's gonna let us go." said Fu.

The baby griffin got off Rose, and nuzzled her with his beak. What sounded like a purr came from his throat.

"Uh... thanks," said Rose, "but that's not gonna do me any good if I can't move."

The baby squawked at her questioningly, then squawked something at his mother. Rose felt a talon at her neck again. It pricked her in the same spot as before; but this time, she found herself able to move again. She sat up, and the baby crawled into her lap.

"You know," she said stroking him, "You're actually kinda cute." He squawked at her again, and tried to lift his injured wing. The pain made him hiss, and his claws dug into her scales. "Take it easy." said Rose, "Try not to move it so much."

By now, the mother griffin had removed the lid to the cage, and the others had gathered around Rose and the baby griffin. Sun laid her claws on the griffin's wing and leg. Light energy flowed over him and soon, he flapped his wings and hovered in front of them. Then he landed and, catching sight of his tail; tried to pounce on it. He only ended up chasing it around in circles, until he tripped over his own feet and fell over. Everyone laughed at how silly he looked. Even the mother griffin purred in amusement at the sight of her chick. She bowed her head to the dragons, and squawked something.

"She says thank you, and good luck." said Fu, "She also says we're welcome to stay the night here." then he yawned and said, "Now that ya' mention it, gettin' a little shut-eye doesn't sound like a bad idea."

The others agreed with him. It was dark now, and they were all tired. So one by one, they flew back into the nest, and each found a spot to lie down. It was actually quite comfortable, with all the leaves spread over the bottom. Haley curled up under Sun's wing, and was fast asleep. Loa Shi curled like a cat, with Fu Dog stretched out beside him. Rose lay down, and Jake came over to her.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked. She shook her head, and he lay down beside her. Then he got up, returned to human form, and started digging through his pockets.

"What's wrong?" asked Rose.

"I was gonna call my parents to let them know where we are," said Jake, "but I can't find my cell phone." He looked down at Rose. "Did you see it anywhere? It's a little red one."

Rose shook her head. "You must've dropped it somewhere." Then she yawned and said, "Don't worry Jake, we can borrow Fu Dog's phone in the morning."

"Yeah," said Jake, "I guess you're right." He returned to dragon form, lay down, and spread a wing over her. "Goodnight, Rose..." A few seconds later, they were sound asleep...


	17. Chapter 17 Encounters

Darkfire

Chapter 17: Encounters

Rose woke, cold. She was still in dragon form, still in the griffin's nest. She raised her head and looked around. It was still night. The pale light of a half moon shone down into the nest. The others were still sound asleep. Then, she looked down at her side. Jake wasn't there...

She looked around, fear clutching her heart. Where was he?! Suddenly, a black claw covered her mouth! She struggled, but a tail curled itself around her, pinning her arms and wings to her sides. She lay there, helpless, as a pair of large yellow eyes stared into hers. The dragon's tail curled around her muzzle, and it removed its claw. As it was hidden in the shadows, Rose couldn't tell what gender it was.

There were four basic ways to tell if a dragon was male or female. One was their hair style (if they had any in dragon form). Another way was by their voice, but this dragon hadn't said a word. The third and forth ways, which didn't always apply, were by the dragon's scale colors, and that females were more slender, while the males were slightly muscular. This dragon was tall and thin, but that was all Rose could tell about it. She tried to see the rest of it, but the dragon held her so that all she could see were its eyes. She felt its claw against her neck, felt a sharp sting as it pricked her. Rose felt herself go limp. The dragon's eyes were the last thing she saw, before darkness claimed her again...

When she woke, the morning light was shining through the branches of the nest. Rose lifted her head and looked around. She was still in dragon form, and the others were still asleep. She looked down at her side. Jake was there, sleeping peacefully. Rose thought back to what had happened. Had it only been a dream? Before she could think about it however, she heard Jake starting to wake up. Beside her, he stretched and said with a yawn, "Gooood, morning Rose."

She smiled at him and said, "Good morning yourself, sleepyhead."

He gave her a cocky smile, "Hey baby," he said,"A face this good-lookin' doesn't stay that way by itself. Even the AmDrag needs his beauty sleep."

"You're not a morning person, are you?" she said with a slight giggle.

"I've stayed awake long enough to beat down you and the Huntsmaster plenty of times in the mornin'." he said boldly.

"Oh really?" she asked slyly. Suddenly she pounced on him, pinning him to the ground. "Got ya'." she said, smiling at him. He rolled, until he was on top of her. Now she was the one pinned.

"Ha!" he said, "Now whose got who?" Rose smiled up at him. Jake gave her a puzzled look. Suddenly, she flipped over with him underneath her and started tickling him.

"Hey!" he cried in protest, "That's cheating! Cut it out Rose!" Rose continued the tickle him as he writhed beneath her, clutching his sides in helpless laughter. Finally, he called out, "Ok! Ok! Uncle! You win!" She stopped, and he went limp. He lay there, gasping for breath as she stared down at him.

"Well, well, well, looks like somebody's havin' a good time over there."

"Huh?" They both looked up, to find Fu Dog and the others staring at them. Rose got off Jake, and let him up, blushing slightly.

"Uh... I was just, uh..."

"Ooooh, busted." hissed Haley, grinning.

There was an awkward silence between them. Finally, Jake said, "So... you guys wanna get some breakfast?" They all flew out of the nest, to find the baby griffin waiting for them.

"Where's the mommy griffin?" asked Haley. Just then, an eagle's cry announced her arrival. She dropped something large and wet in front of them before landing. It turned out to be a swordfish, and a big one at that.

"Uh, what's that supposed to be?" asked Jake. He looked up at the mother griffin, who was tearing up another fish to feed her chick with. "Oh," he said, "You mean, this one's for us?" The griffin nodded at him, then went back to her fish.

"Well," said Loa Shi, "There's no reason to let a perfectly good fish go to waste."

Sun looked around at them all. "Sushi anyone?" she asked.

"Eeeewww!" came the reply.

Then Fu Dog pulled some skewers wrapped in plastic out of his fur. "Ok then," he said, "How 'bout fish kabobs?"

"That'll work." said Haley, chopping up the fish with her claws.

"Ya' know," said Fu to her, "You could get a job as a sushi chef real easy." They each took a skewer and put fish on it. Then Loa Shi and Jake showed them how to cook the fish with their dragon-fire. After breakfast, Jake and Rose called their families using Fu Dog's cell phone. Then, after thanking the griffins for their hospitality, they flew away from the Empire State Building and back towards the shop...

They were flying over Central Park, when suddenly, they heard a faint cry for help. They flew down, and landed in the forest below. In a small grove in front of them, lay a young elf. She didn't look much older then Rose or Jake. A unicorn stallion stood beside her, nuzzling her gently. The unicorn had claw marks across his chest and flank, and the elf had slashes on her arm and chest as well.

Rose came up to them. The unicorn raised his head, then reared, screaming in rage and terror! He charged her, but Rose leapt aside just in time. The unicorn's horn impaled a tree instead. He struggled wildly to free himself, but was stuck fast. Rose went over to the elf, as Sun tried to use her powers to calm the unicorn.

"Can you hear me?" asked Rose to the elf.

She opened her eyes slowly, then stiffened at the sight of Rose.

"It's alright." said Rose soothingly. "I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Rose. What's your's?"

"Luna..." she said weakly, wincing in pain.

"Can you tell us what happened?" asked Jake, coming up to her. She didn't answer, her eyes wide with fright as she saw him and the other dragons.

"Its ok." said Rose,"These are my friends. We just want to help you."

Luna nodded slowly, then said, "Starchaser and I were out for a walk last night." she pointed to the unicorn and continued, "We'd stopped here to rest, when something spooked him. I'd finally managed to calm him down, and we were just about to leave when..."

"Go on." prompted Rose gently, "Tell us what happened next."

"It attacked us out of nowhere..." said Luna, "It got me first. Starchaser tried to protect me. It attacked him, then came to finish me off..."

"But why didn't it?" asked Jake.

"I don't know..." said Luna, "It raised a claw to slash me, but then it stopped... It was like, something was holding it back... but there was nothing there... Then it turned and flew away..."

"Did you see what it was?" asked Rose.

"It was dark, but I managed to get a good look at it before it left." she paused and said, "It- It was a dragon... A tall skinny one, with big bat-like wings and big yellow eyes. It was black all over, with blood red belly scales."

"Can you tell us anything else?" asked Rose.

"Not really," said Luna, "It left right after that, so I didn't see anything else."

Then Fu Dog came up to them with a healing potion, and handed it to Luna. "Here ya' go kid." he said, "This'll make ya' feel better."

As Luna drank the potion, Rose looked down at Fu and said, "You mean you had that potion with you this entire time and forgot about it?!"

"Well can ya' blame me?!" said Fu, "I was a bit preoccupied with keeping you from bein' griffin food."

"I know." said Rose, reaching down and scratching him behind the ear. "I never did get to thank you." Then Luna got up, went over to Starchaser, and gave him the rest of the potion. By now, Sun had calmed him down and helped to pull his horn out of the tree trunk.

Luna turned back to the dragons. "Thank you for your help." she said, "If there's anything we can do to repay you..."

"Hey," said Jake, smiling at them, "Savin' magical creatures is what we do."

Loa Shi came up to Luna and Starchaser and said, "We are trying everything we can to discover the identity of this dragon, but others must be warned, before it strikes again."

"We'll take care of that." said Luna, "Won't we, Starchaser." The unicorn tossed his head, neighing in agreement.

Loa Shi bowed to them. "Thank you," he said,"and safe journey to you both."

"Good luck." said Sun. With that, Luna climbed onto Starchaser's back, and they rode off through the forest.

Sun turned to the others and said,"We should return to Loa Shi's shop." She looked at Jake and Rose, "Your parents will be worried about you, and so will the others."

"Yeah," said Fu, "and if anything happens to you guys, your mothers'll have our hides for doormats."

And so, Fu clambered onto Loa Shi's shoulders, and they all took off, once more heading back to the shop. But, what none of them noticed, was the shadowy figure that watched them from the treetops.


	18. Chapter 18 New Lessons

Darkfire

Chapter 18: New Lessons

It was noon by the time they got back to the shop. Jake and Rose's families were waiting for them. After an explanation of what had happened, and the assurance that they were unhurt; the two families headed for home, leaving Jake and Rose with Loa Shi. 88 and 89 had left for the skate park with Spud and Trixie.

Just then, a messenger fairy arrived with a letter. "Message for DragonMaster Loa Shi." he called.

"What is it?" asked Loa Shi, returning to human form and coming over.

"It's from the Dragon Council." said the fairy. "Master Loa Shi," he read, "we've done everything we can, but have been unsuccessful in finding out the identity of the stranger dragon you told us about. We have also heard of the dragon attacks that have happened recently, and have reason to believe that the two are connected. We want you and the others to investigate these cases and report back to us if you find anything. Respectfully yours, The World's Dragon Council. P.s. Congratulations on finding Jake. We're very happy to know that he's safe."

"Looks like the Dragon Council has a mission for us." said Rose, coming over to them.

Fu Dog tossed a quarter to the messenger as Loa Shi said, "It would appear so," He turned back to Jake and Rose, "but now we must return to your dragon training." He led them into the back room as he continued, "If there is indeed a new threat to the magical community, then we must be prepared for it." He turned to face Rose. "It is time for you to learn a new dragon defense. Observe young one."

The old man closed his eyes, and a white aura surrounded him. It branched off and landed behind her. Rose turned, to find herself staring at Loa Shi!

"What?!" She looked back and found Loa Shi in front of her as well. "Two Loa Shis?! But how?"

"They're called doppelgangers, kid," said Fu, "magical clones that dragons can make by projecting their chi energy. Jake's already learned how make 'em. They make good decoys for battles."

Loa Shi reabsorbed his doppelganger as Jake said, "Yeah, those doppelgangers come in pretty handy at times," Then he leaned in close and whispered, "especially for sneakin' outta the house on school nights."

"What was that young dragon?" asked Loa Shi, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, nothin' Gramps." said Jake, "Just givin' Rose a few pointers." He turned back to her. "Wanna give it a try?"

"What'd I have to do?" asked Rose.

"It's pretty straight forward." said Fu, "Ya' just gotta concentrate on releasin' your chi energy. Try to picture yourself over here were I'm standin'."

Rose closed her eyes, trying to focus, but all she got was a headache. She opened her eyes and looked at them. "Well?" she asked, "Did anything happen?"

"No." said Jake. Then he saw the look on her face. He came up and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok." he said, trying to reassure her. "It took me a while to learn it too."

"There's one important thing ya' gotta know about doppelgangers." said Fu. "Every doppelganger you make takes away some of your strength and chi energy. If you make too many of 'em, you'll be too weak to fight anything."

"I found that out the hard way." said Jake.

"What happened?" asked Rose.

"I'll tell you later." said Jake, "It's a long story."

Loa Shi studied them for a moment. "Perhaps some meditation will help you to focus." he said to Rose. Then he sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. Jake, Rose and Fu Dog did the same.

Rose sat there for a few moments, listening to the steady rhythm of their deep breathing. Then she heard Loa Shi's voice, "Release yourselves, young dragons." he said. "Clear your minds and let your instincts guide you." As Rose started to relax, she heard him say, "Sense the balance of the magical world around you, good and evil both."

She peeked at him through one eye, and saw the old man levitating a few inches above the floor. Fu Dog appeared to have fallen asleep, and Jake seemed to be in some sort of trance. Rose closed her eyes again and let herself relax. She soon fell into the breathing pattern the others were using...

A strange new sense overcame her, as if an invisible wall surrounding her thoughts had fallen away, leaving her mind exposed and open. She felt something brush against her consciousness. Rose shrank back, suddenly afraid. It came again, nudging her gently. Tentatively, she reached out with her mind. _Who's there? _

_Don't be afraid, _came the thought. _It's only me._

_Loa Shi?_

_Yes. _

Rose reached out farther, and felt another consciousness.

_Fu Dog? _

_Yup, _came the reply. _Now would ya' mind stayin' outta my head? I got some dreamin' to do._

_Sorry. _She left Fu Dog to his dreaming, and felt around for Jake. Her mind brushed against his. _Jake? _There was no answer. She probed at it gently and found a wall. Rose pushed at it with her mind, but nothing happened. _Why is he blocking me? _She pushed again.

_Stay back. _The thought came as a warning, pricking her like a thorn.

_Jake?_ It sounded like him, but there was something different about it. _Are you alright? _She pushed again, harder. The thorn jabbed her again, harder this time.

_Get back. _This time the thought was a growl.

_What's wrong? _She asked, _Why are you doing this? _Suddenly, a feeling of cold washed over her. The thorn became a dagger, stabbing at her. She recoiled from the attack, but the stabbing continued relentlessly. Rose tried to retreat but couldn't. She was caught in a cold, iron grip as pain lanced through her. Suddenly, it released her. The stabbing continued, but it was blunted, as though a shield were between her and the dagger.

_Go while you still can! _Jake's thought was a roar in her mind...

Her eyes snapped open. Rose looked around the room. Fu Dog was still fast asleep. Loa Shi was still levitating, and seemed to be in a deep trance. Then she looked again. Jake wasn't there...

* * *

To find out what happened when Jake was learning to use doppelgangers, see episode The Doppelganger Gang. 


	19. Chapter 19 Truth Revealed

Darkfire

Chapter 19: Truth Revealed

Rose got up and looked around, frantic. Where was Jake?! Then she heard something on the roof. Rose ran up the stairs and climbed the ladder through the trapdoor. The sun was just beginning to set, as she climbed out and looked around. Jake was in dragon form, standing at the bordered edge of the rooftop and gazing out over the city. "Jake?"

He didn't answer.

She went closer to him. "Jake, what is it? Something's wrong. I know it is. Why won't you tell me?"

He didn't look at her, but he said, "Haven't you figured it out by now?"

"What are you talking about? Figured what out?"

"All those attacks... The fact that everyone says it's a dragon whose doing it... My red cell phone going missing, and the fact that the dragon who saved you had the same phone..."

"Jake, where are you going with- " A puzzled look crossed her face. "How could you know what color the dragon's cell phone was? I never told you that." Rose had met up with Brocamas earlier that week to question him more about the dragon who had saved her, and he'd told her what had happened while she'd been unconscious. Naturally, Rose had told Jake about this.

Jake finally turned to look at her, and there was a haunted look in his eyes.

"Rose." he said, "The dragon that saved you; the dragon that's been attacking everyone... it's me..."

She stared at him in shock and disbelief. "What?... But that's impossible!"

"Rose," he said, and she caught the note of panic his voice. "I keep having black outs, and every time I wake up there's been another attack; and I keep having these- these nightmares... and they're just like the attacks that have been happening..."

"That doesn't mean- "

"And why do you think this burn on my chest never healed, even with Fu Dog's strongest potions _and_ Sun's magic?!" He stared hard into her eyes. "Haven't you even been wondering _how_ I escaped that other dimension?"

Rose hadn't even thought of that. All that had mattered to her was finding Jake, she'd never thought of asking him how he'd managed to get back, or even what had happened after he'd disappeared.

"How _did_ you get away from that place?" she asked carefully.

His eyes blazed with remembrance as he looked at her. "When the portal closed on us, the Dark Dragon tried to finish me off. I got away from him, but the effort nearly killed me... I was helpless when he found me again; too weak to even defend myself. So I waited for him to finish it, but he didn't... He opened a portal back to New York; said he wanted to see the look in my eyes, to see my home but know I'd be slain without ever getting back. Then he made this burn on my chest; told me my death was gonna be as slow and painful as possible. While he was talking, he loosened his hold on me. With the last of my strength, I managed to break free, and dive through the portal just before it closed. It led to that cave you found me in. I'd have been dead if those wood sprites hadn't found me." He stared hard into her eyes again as he said, "Rose, I shouldn't have survived that fight. He let me go."

Rose listened carefully to his words. "It does seem like it..." she said thoughtfully, "but what does that have to do with the attacks?"

Suddenly, Jake gave a strangled cry. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest.

"Jake!" Rose dropped down beside him. "Jake what's wrong?!"

"Rose!" He was gasping now, "Something's happening to me... Something he did... I can't control it... Get out of here!"

Rose backed away, but didn't run. She stood there, transfixed by what was happening to Jake. The burn on his chest had started to glow, pulsing with a freakish purple energy. Black lightning shot out from it, lashing around the young dragon as he convulsed, roaring in agony; his face hideously contorted by pain. The lightning tore across his scales, turning them black as more throes took him; the scales on his belly turning from gold to red. His deafening roars rose higher, becoming screams until finally, as the transformation was complete, he threw back his head in an ear-piercing shriek!

The blood turned to ice in Rose's veins. Never, in all her life, had she heard anything that chilled her like this. The screams of a unicorn; a griffin's screech of fury; a dragon's roar of bloodlust; those cries she knew; but nothing, nothing like this blood-curdling, soul-piercing shriek.

The dragon before her was now hunched over, his wings hiding his face... She crept towards him, slowly... "Jake?..." He stiffened. "Jake, say something. It's me, Rose." Then, he raised his head and looked at her with large, yellow eyes... Rose gasped in horror, backing away from him. "No..."

He smiled cruelly at her, then chuckled and said mockingly, "_Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh... What's the matter, Rose? Not what you were expecting?" _When he spoke, his voice was twisted; not one voice, but two; and Rose knew instantly who the second voice was.

"_Dark Dragon_."...


	20. Chapter 20 Hunter and Hunted

Darkfire

Chapter 20: Hunter and Hunted

Rose stood there, staring at the dragon before her as the setting sun cast a blood red light over the rooftop. "_What have you done to Jake?!_" she asked fiercely. His cruel laughter rang in her ears before he answered.

"_Done?" _he asked, _"Surely you would have guessed it by now? I've placed a spell upon the American Dragon. He is mine now."_

"So it was you that's been attacking magical creatures. But... Why?"

"_I wasn't after them." _he said, smiling at her. _"They were merely bait. For some time now, my target... has been __**you**__..."_

"Me?" asked Rose, puzzled, "But, if you've been after me all this time, and controlling Jake, why didn't you just attack me when you had the chance?"

He studied her carefully before answering._ "Every time I had you in my sights, you had others with you. I would have had you that night in Loa Shi's shop, if you had stayed in your room. Once you were awake, I knew that you would have alerted the others if I had chosen that moment to strike."_

"What?" said Rose, "But that couldn't have been you. Jake was sound asleep that night. I saw him."

The dragon chuckled and said slyly, _"Those wood sprites thought the same. Though I was unable to control Jake while he was under fever, once it had broken, those simpletons were quite easy to fool." _He laughed again at the puzzled look on her face._ "Amazing, isn't it? How well a doppleganger can fool someone, be they human or magical creature." _

Then it dawned on Rose what he was saying. "You mean, it was a doppelganger I saw that night?"

"_But of course." _he said. _"And now, Huntsgirl... you are mine!" _Suddenly, he lunged, knocking her flat and pinning her beneath him. Rose brought her legs up under his belly and kicked hard, knocking him away from her. She rolled away as he spat fire at her, coming to the very edge of the roof. She looked down, then back at him as he advanced. Her mind made up, she gripped the wall and vaulted over the edge!

"Dragon Up!" White fire raced over her as she fell. Seconds later, she spread her wings and caught a crosswind, riding it away from the shop.

The dragon watched Rose as she flew out over the city. She wouldn't get far...

"_Aye Ya!" _Loa Shi woke from his trance with a yelp, falling over backwards.

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" cried Fu, startled out his sleep. He blinked, then looked over at Loa Shi. The old man was on his feet, his face etched with worry. "Uh-oh." said Fu, "I know that look. So what's the problem this time?"

Loa Shi looked at Fu and said, "I felt a great disturbance." His eyes grew hard as he said, "There is strong evil nearby." Suddenly he dragoned up and headed for the trap door to the roof. "Hurry Fu Dog! Rose is in danger! We have no time to waste!"...

Rose flew out over Central Park, as she thought back to what had happened. _Now it all makes sense. _She thought, _Jake is being controlled by the Dark Dragon. There has to be a way to break the spell, but how? _A shadow fell across her. She looked back, just as the dragon slammed into her! They plummeted together in a writhing tangle, biting and clawing. They broke apart, flying upward again. The two hovered there, staring at each other. Both had slashes and bite marks, and both were gasping for breath. The dragon suddenly dove at Rose. Caught off guard, she was unprepared as he slammed into her again. He gripped her shoulders as they fell, his hind claws tearing at her soft underbelly. She roared in pain, writhing to break his grip, but his tail looped around her, binding her arms and wings to her sides. Just before they hit the treetops, the other dragon spread his wings, carrying her to a nearby rooftop. He landed, pinning her beneath him as she lay helpless.

His cold yellow eyes stared into hers._ "Oh, don't worry, Huntsgirl." _he said silkily. _"I'm not going to slay you just yet." _His eyes grew hard, _"but you will beg for death before I've finished with you." _His claws tore into her again. He dragged them slowly across her scales as she writhed, roaring in agony. Again his cruel claws tore her. He stopped then, letting her fall back as she gasped for breath, gazing at him weakly. He raised his claw to strike her again. Suddenly, he stopped in mid-strike, jerking spasmodically. The burn on his chest pulsed again, as he clutched it in pain. Rose looked at him and saw his eyes. They were flashing, red, yellow, red, then yellow again. They turned red, caught her eyes for an instant, and held her gaze. In that moment, he released her, rearing back to expose his chest. Then his eyes turned yellow again, as the spasms ceased.

Before he could move, a jet of flame shot from Rose's mouth, blasting him away from her. She took flight, soaring back over Central Park...

The baby griffin raised his head, looking out over the nighttime city. He had just started to get to sleep, when a loud roar had woken him. Then, he saw something out over Central Park. He prodded his mother, who was already asleep. _Wake up! _He squawked, _Wake up! There's something going on out there! _

_Go back to sleep. _Said his mother groggily, _It's just the wind._

_No it's not! _He said, _Look! _Finally, his mother opened her eyes and looked. The she-griffin squawked in surprise at what she saw.

_A dragon! _She hissed. Though it was only a fledgling dragon, she knew it instantly. It was the Huntsgirl-dragon, but something was wrong. She was straining in her flight, and seemed to be weakening. Then the griffin saw what was wrong. Another dragon was attacking her, diving and slashing as she tried to dodge it.

_That's the dragon that attacked me! _Squawked the baby griffin.

Just then, the father griffin flew up to the nest. _I heard the roar and came back as fast as I could. _He said, _Are you alright?_

_We're fine, _said the mother, _but that dragon-girl isn't. She's being attacked by the same beast that went after our chick._

_She's hurt bad. _Said the baby, _We have to help her!_

_Leave that to me. _Said the father; and with that, he flew off toward the park...

Rose dodged again as the dragon swooped past her, his claws barely missing her wing. He spat fire at her and she dove to avoid it, but the flames scorched her side. Reeling in pain, she righted herself and flew onward, trying to put some distance between them. The next attack came from below. The dragon streaked upward right in front of her, slashing at her chest. The force of blow knocked her from the air and returned her to human form. She fell, dazed and helpless. Panic gripped her as she plunged. Her mind was blank, she tried to focus, to become the dragon, but couldn't. Knowing that this was the end, she shut her eyes tight, steeling herself for death.

She hit- but this wasn't the ground, or even a rooftop... these were... feathers?! Rose opened her eyes, and looked down at the thing beneath her. These were definitely feathers. Huge wings beat on either side of her. She looked up, and saw an eagle's head with pointed ears. Looking behind her, she saw the hindquarters and tail of a lion.

"Griffin?!" she asked. An eagle's cry answered her, and the head turned so that Rose was staring into one of its fierce eyes. She sighed with relief, then realized it was the male griffin she was riding. "I owe you for this." she said to him. He nodded and looked forward again. Rose looked around. Suddenly the other dragon dove at them from above! "Look out!"

The griffin barely dodged the attack. The dragon came again, a huge jet of flame shooting from his mouth. Again the griffin tried to dodge, but not fast enough, as the flames seared his hind leg. He dove and the dragon followed, heading straight for the treetops. At the last second, the griffin pulled out of his dive, flapping frantically to gain altitude. They heard a crash as the dragon struck the treetops, but didn't look back to see what had happened. Suddenly, the griffin screeched in pain and started bucking wildly. As Rose hung on for dear life, she glanced behind her and found the dragon sinking his claws into the griffin's rump. He let go, and circled around them. The griffin hovered there, as he and Rose watched their attacker. Suddenly he streaked past them, his claws slashing the griffin's chest. The griffin reared as he struck again, this time latching onto its chest and raking its belly with his hind claws. The griffin screeched in agony and tried to slash the dragon with his talons. The dragon released him, avoided the slashes and started spiraling upwards.

Higher and higher he went, until they could no longer see him. The two waited, catching their breath. Suddenly he plunged in a falcon's stoop heading straight for them! There was no time to dodge the attack. The force of the blow knocked the griffin from the sky and tore Rose from his back. Rose saw the griffin, unconscious, plummeting toward the treetops. Looking down, she saw a river below her, but was too weak to transform. She looked up again, and saw the dragon. His cold eyes met hers, knowing that nothing could save her now. His cruel laughter ringing in her ears as she fell. It was the last thing she knew...

Loa Shi flew as fast as he could, with Fu Dog on his back. Up ahead, he saw the dragon strike, saw the griffin plummet into the trees. Then, he saw Rose as she fell. He dove, straining to reach her, but could only watch as she plunged into the river below. "Rose! No!" She surfaced once, then disappeared beneath the water...

* * *

(Falcon's stoop: A special high-speed dive used by peregrine falcons to kill birds in flight.) 


	21. Chapter 21 Darkness Fall and Fire Burn

Darkfire

Chapter 21: Darkness Fall and Fire Burn

Chang stood on a rooftop in dragon form, waiting... A few minutes later, she saw the black dragon flying towards her out of the darkness.

"Master..." She bowed low to him as he landed in front of her. "Were you successful?"

She looked up as his eyes met her's. _"It is done." _he said,_ "Did you bring the items?"_

"Yes Master." said Chang, pulling lengths of unicorn horn chains and a piece of white chalk from a sack at her side.

"_Excellent." _He smiled coldly. _"Now follow me." _He took flight again, leading her into a dark alleyway between two abandoned warehouses on the outskirts of the city. It was long and narrow, with red brick walls. A puddle of water was at the base of the back wall, and there were no street lamps anywhere to be seen. There would be no one to disturb them... When they landed, the black dragon took the chalk from the sack and went up to the wall at the end of ally. He began chanting in a strange language and drawing symbols in a large circle with the chalk. As he spoke, the symbols turned black and began to glow with a strange pulsing light. When the circle was complete, he went back over to Chang and pulled the chains from the sack. Handing the chains to her, he held out his wrists and said,_ "Now, use those chains and bind me."_

She seemed puzzled by this. "Master? I'm afraid I don't understand. How is this part of our plan?"

"_Once the portal is reopened and I return to the mortal realm, I will no longer be able to possess the American Dragon." _He smiled slyly as he continued,_ "And I don't want him escaping just yet."_

Still puzzled, Chang did as she was told. The dragon lay down at her feet and held still while she bound his claws and wings. When it was done, he said, _"Now, we wait..."_

"Master?"

"_The portal cannot opened if certain conditions are not met..." _he explained. _"For instance, tonight, there is a very rare eclipse that happens only once every two millennial. That, combined with the ancient runes, and a little help from you, will open the gateway to my return..."..._

Lao Shi hovered there, numb with shock at what had just happened. The scene playing over and over again in his mind. The black dragon's attack, the male griffin, knocked from the sky by the blow, Rose, falling helpless into the river below, the dragon's cruel laughter before it flew away...

Fu Dog, for once, was speechless. As the truth of what had happened began to sink in, the old dragon descended into the trees in search of the griffin. They found him lying in a glade below; his mate and chick already at his side. The mother griffin was bending over him, keening for her fallen mate. Loa Shi went up to them, pressing an ear to the male griffin's chest. A sigh of relief escaped the old dragon as he heard the steady pulse of the griffin's heart.

"He still lives." said Loa Shi, looking at Fu Dog. "Did you bring a healing potion?"

The Shar Pei started digging through the wrinkles in his fur, and came out with a small potion vial. "You're in luck." said Fu, "This is my last one." Loa Shi took the potion and gave it to the griffin. After a few minutes, his eyes opened and the griffin raised his head slowly. He looked around at them all, then squawked something at his mate.

"What did he say?" Loa Shi asked Fu. The old dog shook his head sadly.

"He's askin' if Rose is alright."

The mother griffin bowed her head, then came over to Loa Shi. She ran her beak over his scales, as though trying to preen him. The old dragon let her. As odd as it was, the gesture seemed to comfort him. The father griffin seemed puzzled by this. Then he looked around at the others and saw the sadness in their eyes, and guessed what had happened. He too came over to Loa Shi, and bowed his head in sorrow. The griffin chick also came up to them. They stayed like that for a few moments, grieving for Rose. Finally, as the moon slipped behind the treetops; the griffins took flight, heading back to their nest.

"Come, Fu Dog." said Loa Shi as he crouched down. Fu Dog climbed onto his back. Then, they flew back towards the shop...

"Do ya think... she's really gone?" asked Fu as they flew onward.

"Fu Dog..." said Loa Shi sadly, "We both know she couldn't have survived that fall..."

"But- but what about Jake? Do you think he...?"

"No, Fu... If he could have, he would have been there to save her..."

"You- you don't think he's..."

The old dragon didn't answer. But Fu saw his head drop lower, and his shoulders slump.

They flew onward in silence...

When they finally reached the shop, they found Jake and Rose's families, along with Spud, Trixie, 88, and 89 waiting for them...

The half moon slid out from behind the clouds, casting an eerie light into the alley. The moonlight streamed toward them, until it reached the far wall, bathing the circle in a silvery glow. The dragon began chanting again. As he spoke, the puddle of water at the wall's base began creeping upwards, until it covered the circle. The water stayed there, as though it were stuck fast to the bricks, though the runes still shone through it. Then, the moon began to turn red...

The dragon smiled. _"The eclipse has begun..." _The alley that they were in had also begun to turn red. The dragon watched the pool of water which still hang on the wall like a mirror. And when it had turned as red as blood, he looked at Chang and said, _"Now, breathe your fire into the pool and open the gateway!"_

Chang looked down at him, uncertain. Then, taking a deep breath, a huge jet of flame shot from her mouth heading straight for the water. When the fire struck water, a strange thing happened... The water didn't turn to steam as it normally would have. Instead, it writhed and boiled, swirling until it became a vortex. Black lightning and fire lashed out from it's center; expanding to the edge where it formed a blazing ring; taking the water with it. As the water and fire moved outward to the edge, a gaping hole was left. The blast of air that came through it was a blazing inferno. Purple mists swirled through the darkness inside... The gateway had opened again...

Suddenly, a strangled cry came from the chained dragon. Chang looked down at him, stunned by what she was seeing. The burn on his chest was pulsing again. Black lightning was racing across his scales, turning them red again as the blackness retreated to the star shaped mark. He writhed, snarling in pain, as the transformation took hold. Finally, when the darkness from his scales had completely disappeared, it torn from the burn in his chest, rendering him unconscious. The darkness took form as it left him, becoming a great winged shape... A phantom dragon...

The phantom raced through the portal and vanished, as the moon disappeared completely.

Jake slowly open his eyes, groaning in pain. "What- What happened to me?" He looked up, and saw Chang standing over him. "Chang?! But- But how?! Everyone thought you were dead!" The young dragon tried to move, struggling against the chains that bound him.

"You would do well to save your strength, Jake Long." said Chang, giving him a wicked smile. "You should consider yourself lucky that I'm letting you live long enough to see this moment."

"What?" asked Jake, "What are you talking about?"

Just then, the flames and lightning erupted from the portal, blasting both dragons with intense heat and ash. And as the smoke drifted away and the moon reappeared, Chang raised her claw and pointed. "Behold!"

The ring of fire and lightning still blazed, but now there was something coming towards them out of the darkness...

Gleaming eyes stared out at them... scales blacker then midnight... huge and terrible as the smoke swirled around him in the moonlight... The Dark Dragon had returned...

To be Continued...

* * *

Be on the look out for Fireheart: Part III in my Dragonfire saga! I'm sorry this took so long to post, but I had a huge case of writer's block these past few days. A big Thank You to all my readers, my teachers, and my parents; without whom I won't have gotten this far. You know who you are:) Special thanks to KaliAnn for the plot ideas, Queen of Spar Oom for trying to give me criticism, and Wheeley for helping me get over my writer's block:) **Also:** Big news today everybody! I'm announcing the first ever ADJL Fanfiction Podcast, hosted by** Wheeley** and myself! We need the help of voice actors, Authors, and anyone else who wants to help, please head to **savetheshows. com** and let your voice be heard! Don't forget to subscribe! 


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